Device for starting internal-combustion engines.



A. P.- & R. W. FOSTER.

DEVICE FOR STARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. I910.

1,185,300. Patented May 30, 1916.

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UNITED STATES, PATENT onrron.

ALFRED P. FOSTER, 0]? ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, AND RALP I-I W. FOSTER, OF'BOSTON, MASS ACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY,-A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. I

DEVICE r03. STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30,1916.

Application filed February 23, 1910. Serial No. 545,463.

' and RALPH W; FOSTER, citizens of. the

.and State of Massachusetts, respectively,

.' as it moves slides on the square shaft 32.

United States, and residents of Orange, in" the county of-Essex" and State of New. Jersey. and of Boston, in the county; of Suffolk have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Devices for Starting Internal-Combu'stionjEngines, of wh ch the fol.-

lowing is aspecifioation.

This invention relates to dev ces for starting internal combustion engines, more particularly. such engines as are used on automobiles, aeroplanes and launches, and consists of gearing attached to the-periphery of the fly wheel of the engine, an electric .motor propelling a driver. adapted to actuate the gearing, and means for releasing thedriver, as will be described in the specification, set forth in the claims" and illustrated in the drawing, in 'whi'ch Figure 1 is an elevation of the device with the operating gearing in mesh, Fig. 2is an elevation of the device with the operating gearing outof mesh, Fig. 3 is a detail show-Q mg 'a releasing deviceft Fig. 4 is a section showingta slid ble sha on a polygonal motor sha Referring tothe drawing there is shown a fly wheel 11 having gearing 18 applied to its rim. The gearing 18 is actuated'bygearing 19 on' a driver 12. On a base 14 there rests a small electric motor M, connectedby the conductors 28 and 29 with a suitable source of electricity, the current being-closed ,or opened by means of a pushbutton not shown. To' engage or disengage the gearing a screw cap 15 is turned by means of the milled head 16. The screw cap 15 is prevented from moving longitudinally by means of the collar 34 at the end of the arm 30. As the screw cap 15 revolves'it actuates The driver may be very small compared with the .fiy wheel so that only a very small force will be-needed to move it.

In case of a back-kick the push button is released whereby the current is broken and no harm is done to the motor.

What we, claim is:

1. In a device for starting internal combustion en 'nes, the combination of a .fly wheel provided with gear teeth, an electric motor provided. with a shaft, a shaft slidably attached to the shaft of the motor, a

'(iI1VeI mO1111ted on the slidable shaft and adapted to mesh with the. fly wheel gear teeth, and means for moving the driver into and out of mesh with the fly wheel teeth.

2. In a device for starting internal com hustion engines, the combination of a fly wheel, provided with gear teeth, an electric motor provided with a polygonal shaft, a

slidable shaft attached tothe motor shaft,

a driver on the 'slidable shaft adapted to mesh with the fly wheel gear teeth, and

means-for disengaging the gear teeth.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 18th day Q of Feb. A. D. 1910.

ALFRED P. FOSTER. RALPH W. FOSTER. Witnesses? C. A. O. ROSELL, GEO. F, Warmer, 

